AIBU to think school closures ignore parents' work commitments?

[OhNoItsThePinkyPonk]

AIBU to think that the school doesn’t take much account of parents’ need to work? Primary school have just announced they won’t be opening for the rest of the week, but it’s OK because they’ll be sending us online work for us to do with the children, and whilst they are sorry they have had to cancel sports day we shouldn’t be too upset because they’ve have rescheduled it for a couple of weeks time. Like, I totally get they have to put the safety of the children first and if it’s too hot it’s too hot, but what do they think I’m
doing when the kids are at school, preparing beautiful dinners, ensuring the craft box is topped up, pining wistfully for the moment they come home? FFS, my job obviously comes second to my children and of course I’ll cancel planned surgeries and clinics where I need to. It’s not the emergency that bothers me, it’s the blasé way in which it’s communicated as though it’s a
minor inconvenience, not a major major f’ing headache with serious second and third order effects.

phew, that’s better. Now to go and get the little darlings…

Yes, school is there primarily to educate but you are deluded if you think parents dont rely on it for childcare. I haven't "demanded" that schools stay open, i just stated that school is used by many as childcare. Otherwise they wouldnt be able to work.

Also, as another poster mentioned above, if school is not also used as childcare, why did many of the children of key workers still go to school during covid?

Oh so let's all just keep our kids in a dangerous situation just because some people see it as childcare. Jesus Christ give your head a wobble

If primary schools make it optional then parents who think it’s dangerous can keep them home. Our school did that. Quite a few took them home at lunch and some stayed. Seemed to work well.

I was just disputing the point that "school isnt childcare" and was pointing out that many parents use it as childcare.

I fainted at work due to it being dangerously hot in an exam hall full of students. Have now got an injured shoulder and pretty sure I have heat exhaustion due to the constant nosebleeds I’ve been having since.

Yes I care about students, but actually, teachers are employees too and deserve to work in a safe environment.

Maybe you’d be happy knowing that we were working though just for the sake of not having a day off.

Maybe parents should stop the expectation then. While at school parents are still responsible for their children . Illness, accident, weather etc are all reasons why a child will be sent home without notice. Parents really do need to be prepared for that.

But that is the same for nursery or after school clubs, isnt it. "Childcare" doesnt mean you never call the parents to come and collect them.

Nursery is caring for the child, yes that's childcare. School and school clubs isn't, they are there to teach and school clubs to teach sport, music etc. There's a big difference

Changes in employment policies and more widely available and affordable childcare would really help this.
I imagine the vast majority of parents WANT to care for their children and most are able to manage the unexpected to a degree.
All OP wanted was the school to not be so blasé in the way they communicated the closure.

Nurseries still have to educate children, and theyre inspected by Ofsted to ensure that they're delivering this.

Nurseries are primarily there to provide childcare. Schools purpose is to educate.

I think schools are treated by most parents as having a secondary purpose of providing childcare. Most parents wouldn't be able to work if their children weren't in school, especially as there isn't really a separate childcare provision for children over 5. We can agree to disagree, I think.

Hoe where they supposed to communicate it! They needed to close the school and they informed parents. What else could they do? Honestly do some parents expect to be babied in this way? The school needed to close, parents needed to be responsible for their own kids. They communicated this, what more do some parents want? Blood

Well if you don't change your attitude it's going to be a very long stressful time while your kids are in school, because schools aren't going to change for you.

I would prefer it be done matter of factly. They don't need to be telling (as OP states) parents not to worry because the children will have online work to do.
Just say the school is closed and why. If the school is closed at short notice they cannot expect parents to home educate their children.

I pretty sure she able to work while her children are in school and that mostly it is not stressful.

You've lost the plot hahaha. Parents with kids in nursery get calls all the time to pick them up. Nurseries are also closing due to the heat. Also, you dont need to worry about me - I'm a SAHM so I secretly love it when schools shut lol. My point was less to do with me and more to do with how I know many parents see school!

DS's school closed early on Friday because temps in classrooms had gone over 40. In our area, open windows had no effect but to further heat the room. There WAS no cool are or breeze.

At that temperature, both pupils and staff are at risk of taking ill.

School's priorities should be the safety of their pupils and staff, not parent's work commitments.

No, I just know how schools work. I've been parents to school children for 25 years. School is not childcare

But do you accept that it does act as a useful way to enable parents to work?
We all know their primary function is to educate and that teachers are not childcare providers and parents are the primary caregivers and retain overall responsibility.

That's but what we are talking about. OP and others expect the school to make working parents a consideration when closing the school. That's not going to happen because the people who use the school, staff and pupils are the only priority.

Many after school clubs are for childcare though

No that's called wrap around care. School clubs are more than often run by outside sports clubs and music teachers who come once or twice a week and charge parents for their services. All if which can be cancelled at a moments notice so shouldn't be used as childcare.

By that argument, NOTHING should be used as childcare in case it closes at a moment's notice!